Filimoni Savou thanks old friends after England debut to remember

FORMER Terrington Hall sports scholar Filimoni Savou scored with his first touch as he enjoyed a thrilling debut for England Under-17s - and he was quick to thank the Ryedale people who made the "best moment in his life" possible.

Savou, now studying down south, began the game against France at Broadstreet Rugby Club, Coventry, on the bench but came on at outside centre after just 15 minutes and made an instant impact, holding off several tackles to score.

The Fiji-born powerhouse said: "As soon as I got the ball I knew it was try time. It was an unbelievable feeling to score in the biggest game of my life. I was absolutely buzzing for the rest of the match."

England went on to win 29-25 thanks to a last-minute converted try.

Filimoni explained of the exciting finale: "We were supposed to run patterns but at that stage we could not afford to take any risks. Every single player on our team was smashing the ball up the middle. We worked together brilliantly as a team and fought for each other.

"This was by far the best moment in my life and I am indebted to so many people, including Terrington Hall headmaster Jon Glen who gave me the chance to come to England, and the Terrington families who have supported me all the way, in particular the Charters, the Listers and the Nordlis."

Filimoni, who plays for Saracens academy, is now looking forward to moving up to the U18s national side next season.